Decision Day 2021!
This Friday at RHS we celebrated “Decision Day”. Decision Day is a day when seniors across the country indicate or announce their college/career decision for next year. The decision for how to continue your learning journey after high school is a HUGE ONE, as it marks the beginning of the next phase and direction in our students’ educational or career journey!
It was awesome to hear each of our seniors announce, publicly and proudly, their college or career plans next year!! Even more heartwarming was the support and cheering from their 9th – 11th grade classmates.
Midterm Progress Reports Coming By Monday!
Teachers will be sending out midterm grades by Monday evening in all classes. You can access more details about these grades by logging into ParentVue. It has been a heck of a year, but having kids back “All In” has been great, and it is heartening to see the learning and the relationships building steadily!
That said, there are some students who are struggling with grades right now. One thing that can help is HOMEWORK! We don’t intend to assign much homework, and those students who work efficiently in class will likely have little to NONE! However others who may be struggling to engage or remain focused in class WILL have assignments that must be completed for homework. These incomplete or missing assignments are almost always the key factor in low grades (along with attendance).
Please reach out to the teachers through email or call us if you have questions about “now what?!”. We ALWAYS encourage students to check in with their teachers during class and make a plan to get support (lunch, after school, before school or in our Student Success Center (SSC).
11TH GRADE SMARTER BALANCED ASSESSMENTS
Schools across Oregon will once again be administering a the “Smarter Balanced” standardized assessments for 11th graders this year in literacy and math, though rest assured, they have been significantly pared down in terms of length and the math and reading tests are designed to take approximately 60 minutes each.
The SBAC math and reading assessments are focused on core high school competencies and, despite the pandemic, we DO strongly encourage all of our students to take these assessments for two reasons:
- These assessments allow each of our students to meet the “essential skills” required for graduation. Students must meet these “essential skills” requirements through EITHER the SBAC assessment, the ACT, or a separate officially scored work sample.
- After a tough year of “unpredictable” learning, these assessments can give us a another useful data point helping us know where each of our students is at with respect to these important college-ready skills – allowing us to bettor customize curriculum and support going forward
MATH TEST:
- Monday May 17th, Period 2 – Math Test Pt 1: Log in, make sure “Test Nav” app is working, get oriented to the test, begin the test (20-30 min)
- Tuesday May 18th, Period 2 – Math Test Pt 2: finish the test (up to 60 min as needed)
ENGLISH TEST
- Thursday May 20th, Period 3 – English Test Pt 1: Log in, make sure “Test Nav” app is working, get oriented to the test, begin the test (20-30 min)
- Friday May 21st, Period 3 – English Test Pt 2: finish the test (up to 60 min as needed)
If you want to opt out of these assessments, you will need to complete and return this opt out form by Monday May 3rd.
Clarifying OUR Daily Schedule Now That The Comprehensive High School Schedule Is Shifting!
NO Change at RHS: Because we have had very few COVID related quarantines and NO positive cases on campus this far (knock on wood, quickly!) we have decided to KEEP OUR SCHEDULE AS IS with our regular 3:20 dismissal (M, T, Th, F) and 1:50 dismissal on Wednesdays. So, no change in our schedule. The large neighborhood high schools are shifting to a shorter day with a 1:35 dismissal (more time for teachers to support the many students they have at home on quarantine). As long as we can keep our quarantine numbers down, we HOPE to keep our existing schedule for the remainder of the year!
With A New “Tweak” For Wednesdays:
In an effort to support the very DIVERSE needs of our students right now, we plan to invite CERTAIN STUDENTS who have demonstrated consistent academic success and a strong level of independence and responsibility in their learning to work with their parent/guardian and make the choice to learn from home on Wednesdays if they would like. We are calling this option “Flex Wednesdays”. We have heard from many of our most capable students that this would allow them time to flex their newly developed independent learning muscles… something we want to support!!
Meanwhile, our teachers will teach the full and regular schedule of classes here on campus on Wednesdays and will be focusing their efforts on “catch up and support” as opposed to new content. Students who have been invited to “Flex Wednesdays” can attend classes on campus for help OR stay home to work independently. Roger will be sending out a targeted letter to families who are invited to the “Flex Wednesday” option with more details by end of day Monday May 10th. The “Flex Wednesday” invitation will be based on grades and attendance track record.
9th – 11th INTENT TO RETURN FORM FOR 21-22 SCHOOL YEAR REQUIRED BY MAY 12th
PLEASE CONFIRM YOUR SLOT AT RGS FOR NEXT YEAR! As a choice option school with students on the wait list we ask that EVERY 9th – 11th grader confirms their plans for next year with us ASAP. Please confirm with EITHER A YES OR A NO on this very simple “Intent to Return” form ASAP and no later than Wednesday May 12th.
LEADERSHIP TRANSITION – YOUR VALUABLE FEEDBACK REQUESTED!
From Roger: A month or so ago I shared that there is a “leadership transition” coming up at Realms Middle and High next year. You can read all about it in this letter! However, what I could REALLY USE from our parents and students is YOUR INPUT and feedback.
We really valuable parent/student feedback as we work to make Realms High School the best choice option HS in Bend and just a great place to go to school! Your feedback on this form will help guide us as we navigate this important upcoming year – what are YOUR priorities?!?!
FRIENDS OF REALMS UPDATES
Who We Are: The Friends of Realms Board of Directors is an amazing bunch of community members and RMS-RHS parents who are dedicating to supporting our school through fundraising efforts. These big hearted and capable folks meet once per month to plan efforts that raise thousands of dollars each year!
Looking for New Board Members! Are you interested in learning more? The Friends of Realms board is always looking for talented and interested new board members. While we are interested in board members with a wide variety of skills, one of our areas of greatest need right now is in finance. Specifically we are looking for a new TREASURER! This opportunity is for 2 years and includes a monthly meeting (approx. 2 hours) and approximately 2-3 hours/month of work between meetings! PLUS UNLIMITED REWARDS in the FEEL GOOD DEPARTMENT! If you are interested in joining our board, please email [email protected]
Currently we are in the middle of the BANFF FILM FESTIVAL! This year, the Banff Films are ONLINE, but you can still support our schools by purchasing these movies and watching them in the comfort of your own home. Just click on the image below to go to the FoR website. From there, you can use the special “Realms Only Link to Banff”. If you purchase/rent these AMAZING films directly from OUR LINK, then proceeds go to support RHS and RMS. Spread the word to your friends, and THANK YOU to our generous sponsors!
